The Baffled Parent's Guide to Coaching Youth Football

A resource for soccer coaches of children between the ages of eight and twelve years of age. It aims to provide the fundamentals that a new coach needs to control, motivate and encourage a disparate group of boys and girls of varying skills and dispositions. Topics covered include: the logistics of running a youth team (how to get uniforms or arrange a practice time); the specifics of coaching football (what to do at the first practice, how to determine a child's position, how to teach tackling and blocking safely); and how to calm a player's (and parent's) fear of being hurt. The text allows a coach to match drills to player's skills and motivations - and focuses on teaching children to enjoy the experience. Later chapters deal with how to run a successful practice, manage and strategize during a game, and provide offensive and defensive drills. Throughout there are suggestions for giving your players the best opportunity to grow and learn. Also included are chapter-ending question-and-answer sections dealing with typical problems every coach faces.